Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals and Natural Products

This volume presents basic and advanced technical information on the sources, mechanisms and safety of food bioactives in the etiology and prevention of chronic and infectious diseases. In so doing, it offers details useful for not only understanding but also improving the functionalities of foods. It reviews advances in multiple phytochemicals and food ingredients known for positive effects on human physiology, while at the same time explaining research on the effects of foods on the human microbiome. Metabolomic and proteomic techniques are explored as ways of improving targeting, understanding metabolic pathways and increasing the therapeutic effectiveness of selected food ingredients. Special attention is given to chemistry, molecular structure and pharmacological effects. Bioactives from a wide range of foods are investigated, including seafood, pro- and prebiotics, fungi, yeasts, spices and many more. The text provides analytical information needed to develop and validate commercial products incorporating functional ingredients.Some of the highlights of the book include: Food and nutrients in the microbiome, emerging disease pathways and prevention of chronic and infectious conditions. Connects bioactive ingredients in foods to their pharmacological and health effects. Includes probiotics, fungal and sea foods, as well as spices, herbs and specialty fruits.